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Box Score 2 TURLOCK – Sunday's final day of the Tournament of Champions saw the Chico State softball return to the win column in convincing fashion, blanking Hawaii Pacific 8-0 to earn a late afternoon matchup with Cal State Monterey Bay and a chance to capture the tourney's Silver Bracket Championship. The Wildcats took a 2-1 lead into the sixth inning, only to see the Otters erupt for four runs and pull out a 5-2 victory at Pedretti Park in Turlock.
Chico State finished 3-4 in the weekend's Tournament of Champions play, and are now 20-18 overall as the Wildcats head into the final stretch of California Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAA) games. The 'Cats, in fifth place in the conference with a 13-11 record, need a strong finish to earn one of the top four spots in the standings and a subsequent berth in next month's CCAA Championship Tournament.
Desiree' Gonzalez wrapped up a record-setting weekend in Turlock, clubbing two home runs and driving in five runs in the win over Hawaii Pacific. Gonzalez tallied five round-trippers and 16 RBI over Chico State's seven tournament games, tying TOC records in both categories. Her impressive production earned Gonzalez a spot on the TOC's All-Tournament Team.
Gonzalez, Emily McEnaney, Kelli Keefe, Amanda Cordeiro and Gabby Palmer all posted multiple hits to lead the Chico State offense on Sunday, which produced a combined 10 runs and 13 hits on the day.
In Sunday's Silver Bracket semifinal game against Hawaii Pacific, the Wildcats put a couple of quick runs on the board. Keefe singled with one out in the top of the first inning and came home when Gonzalez ripped a long home run to left field. The 'Cats and Hawaii Pacific traded zeroes for the next four innings; Wildcat starting pitcher Brooke Langeloh kept the Sea Warriors at bay, allowing just one hit through the first three innings and wiggling out of a second and third, two-out jam in the fourth to keep Chico State on top 2-0.
The Wildcat broke the game open in the top of the sixth inning, sending 12 batters to the plate and scoring six times. With Keefe and McEnaney aboard, Gonzalez sent her second bomb of the contest high over the left-center field fence. Cordeiro, Palmer and Brynn Lesovsky followed with singles to load the bases, with Cordeiro scoring on a wild pitch to push Chico State's advantage to 6-0. Marlee Rettig then singled home Lesovsky, and a bases loaded walk to Keefe plated Palmer to put the 'Cats up 8-0. Hawaii Pacific threatened the extend the game in the bottom of the sixth, loading the bases with nobody out. Langeloh, however, promptly the put the hammer down, striking out one batter and inducing a foul out and a ground out to end the contest and cement Chico State's 8-0 win and snap the Wildcats' three-game losing streak. Langeloh registered her 13th complete game and third shutout to improve to 7-5 on the season.
Thirty minutes later, Chico State was back on the field to take on Cal State Monterey Bay for the TOC's Silver Bracket championship. The Otters, ranked 15th in the nation, threatened to score in each of the first five frames, but thanks to some sparkling defense by the 'Cats – McEnaney turning a nifty inning-ending double play in the first inning and Keefe saving a run with a diving grab of a Cori Reinhardt liner in the third – Monterey Bay stranded four runners in scoring position. The Otters did plate a run in the bottom of the second on an Anneliese Lopez RBI double, and took a 1-0 lead into the top of sixth inning.
After not getting much going offensively against Monterey Bay starting pitcher Lindsey Clarkson, Chico State finally struck in the sixth when Palmer doubled over the head of Otters left fielder Danica Arteburn to chase home Gonzalez and Scotie Walker to put the Wildcats on top 2-1.
Monterey Bay responded by taking the lead for good in the bottom of the sixth – Jenae Coleman's two-out, bases-loaded infield blooper fell just in front of a diving Courtney Brown at third, allowing the tying run to score. On Alex Molina's next pitch, Reinhardt delivered a three-run double to put the Otters in front. Chico State went out in order in the top of the seventh, giving Monterey Bay the 5-2 win and the Silver Bracket crown.
Molina allowed just one earned run in going the distance in the pitcher's circle for the 11th time this season, but was saddled with the loss to slip to 9-9 overall.
The Silver Bracket final served as a prelude to next weekend's huge four-game CCAA series between the Wildcats and Otters in Seaside. The two teams will meet Friday for a doubleheader beginning at 1:00 p.m., with a series-ending twinbill slated for noon on Saturday.
